Cincinnati Reds vs. Colorado Rockies, 5-26-18 – Pick & Preview

Pick, Prediction, & Preview:

Cincinnati Reds vs Colorado Rockies

The Colorado Rockies are set to return to their home ballpark of Coors Field where they will play in game 2 of their 3 game series against National League foe in the Cincinnati Reds, first pitch is slated for 9:10 PM ET. After this series, these two teams will meet again on 6/5 when Colorado will travel over to Cincinnati for a 3 game series.

Cincinnati Reds's Latest Performance :

Bullpen Holds Up

The Cincinnati Reds may be nowhere near contention level especially in the deep NL Central but all things considered, they have been a lot more competitive under interim head manager Jim Riggleman as they have been trading wins and losses and playing close games. An example of the Reds giving a good outing resides in their most recent series against the Pittsburgh Pirates as they were able to bring one of the best teams in the division to the 12th inning where they eventually lost. The Reds starter Homer Bailey wasn’t much better than what his 1-6 record and 6.21 ERA tells us as the 2004 first-round pick got roughed up for 4 earned runs on 10 hits in only 5 innings of work. The Reds were able to stay on course though as the bullpen was solid in Bailey’s exit as the combination of Tanner Rainey, Jackson Stephens, Jared Hughes, Michael Lorenzen, and Dylan Floro gave up only 1 earned run in the 7 innings they appeared in. The 2 innings that Tanner Rainey appeared in showed promise for the rookie as he didn’t allow a hit and he struck out 3 guys in the process which is much improved from his previous outings where he posted a 31.50 ERA. The bats for the Reds weren’t terrible as they were able to score 4 runs on 11 hits which is a slight improvement for this bottom 10 offense. Scooter Gennett was able to enjoy a good game from the plate as he went 2 for 4 from the plate which helped extend his batting average to a .328 which is the best on the Reds. Gennett was also able to connect on the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the 6th inning which now has his season HR total up to 9 and that is good for a team-high.

Colorado Rockies's Latest Performance :

Silent Game On The Road

The Colorado Rockies may have lost 6 of their last 10 matchups but to their advantage, the 2nd-place Arizona Diamondbacks have been in even worse form as they have lost 9 of their last 10 matchups which has kept the Rockies on top of the division. The Rockies sit in the bottom 10 of two of the most important statistical categories (runs scored, runs allowed) which usually has bottom-feeder teams residing in that area. The Rockies have shown us that they might not be a true contender in their recent series as they dropped 2 of their 3 matchups against the Los Angels Dodgers. The Rockies elected to start former first-round pick Kyle Freeland in the series finale and the southpaw had a quality outing as he gave up 3 earned runs on 6 hits in 6.1 innings of work. Freeland has been one of the best starters for the Rockies this season as the left-handed pitcher has a 3.17 ERA but due to the inconsistency of his offense, he is .500 with a 4-4 record. The bullpen was solid in Freeland’s exit as the combination of Adam Ottavino and Brooks Pounder closed out the remaining 1.2 innings without giving up a single hit. The problem didn’t lie in the pitcher’s hands but rather the bats of the Rockies as they were shutout on only 4 hits. Nolan Arenado has been one of the best hitters all season for the Rockies as the stud 3B post a .317 batting average but the 27-year-old was unable to record a hit in this 5/23 matchup which is only the 2nd time in as many as 8 games where he failed to tally a hit.

How Cincinnati Reds & Colorado Rockies Matchup.

Vegas Odds, Offshore Odds, & Odds ATS:

Cincinnati is 17-33, 9-14 on the road.

Colorado is 26-24, 7-11 at home.

In-Depth Analysis of each team:

The probable starting pitchers for this matchup is as follows: Tyler Mahle (3-6, 4.53 ERA) for the Cincinnati Reds vs. Tyler Anderson (3-1, 4.74 ERA) for the Colorado Rockies.

Mahle last started on 5/20 against the Cubs where he went 6 innings giving up 4 earned runs on 7 hits in a L.

Anderson last started on 5/20 against the Giants where he went 5.1 innings giving up 5 earned runs on 6 hits in a L.

Colorado and Cincinnati both rank in the bottom 10 in runs scored.

Colorado and Cincinnati both rank in the bottom 10 in team ERA.

Against The Spread Selection: Colorado Rockies

My reason for the pick :

The Colorado Rockies were able to use a little win streak last week to propel themselves to the top of the NL West and given their current matchup and the hopes of making the playoffs Colorado knows what needs to be done. Mahle has lowered his ERA over the course of his rookie year but as you see in his record he still isn’t perfect and the offense has been nowhere to be found. Anderson has been solid all season for the Rockies and his although his ERA is fairly high we can accredit that to the tough ballpark he plays in. The bats for Colorado went dead in their recent series against the Los Angeles Dodgers but they get to return home to Coors Field where a bunt can be a home run. Colorado gets a much-deserved win.

Betting trends for Cincinnati Reds:

Cincinnati is 5-2 against NL West teams this season.

The over is 17-14-1 after a loss this season.

Betting trends for Colorado Rockies:

Colorado is 16-14 against right-handed pitchers this season.

The under is 16-7-1 as the favorite this season.

Anthony

I am a sports enthusiast and watch every sport from the NFL to the NHL with everything in between. I have followed sports since I was a young kid and have studied deep into statistics for teams, and players. I am always looking for transactions within sports and find in an interest in every game. Playing every sport growing up has led me to understand every game and look for certain trends and stats.